Artist of the Week

Photo Credit: Hannah Bracher

Artist: Jack PhilpArtform: Choreographer

What do you do and what are your main focuses?I am a choreographer with a focus on collaboration. I work a lot with fusing academic and creative research, placing emphasis on an athletic and rhythmic approach to movement. ​Where have you studied?I trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London. I am now currently based in Cardiff, Wales.

Tell us a bit about your work 'LUMEN'.LUMEN is a collaborative work made in conjunction with support from academic professors at The School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University. Centred around light as a starting point, we looked at the astrophysical environments which give birth to light, which bend, shift and move it until it is finally captured. Working in tandem with composer Carol Jones, we also created a new contemporary classical score to accompany the work. LUMEN was supported by Arts Council of Wales, Chapter Arts Centre, Rubicon Dance and Cardiff University.

​Why do you choreograph?Choreography for me, like many artistic mediums, gives us a canvas to explore conversations and learn. I am interested in the body, the mechanics of it, I am interested in our place in space, in time and our relationships to each other. Choreography captures that ephemeral idea and that thinking. Movement for me is such an innate and even primal response to so many people that it stirs such a freedom in me to be able to draw with something so visceral.

​Do you have a favourite genre?Biased I know but contemporary dance is where my heart lies although I also love working with ballet, it’s another language which can sometimes be fun to decode and explore.

Work: LUMEN.
Photo Credit: Hannah Bracher.

What and who are you influenced by?Good question. There are a huge range of artists and individuals who shape and inform what it is I do. I suppose rather than just the ‘who’ it’s also the thirst to learn and understand that influences me. ​Why do you like contemporary art and why do you think it is important? I think it has to be it’s constant evolution and it’s constant cycle which fascinates me. It’s a beautiful and yet sometimes difficult umbrella to master but I think it’s versatility and complexity makes it so enjoyable. It’s voice in current times plays such a pivotal role in society, which quite often goes unseen and is overshadowed by areas such as politics or the economy. With the birth of new technologies, new knowledge and new troubles it further cements the importance of contemporary art as a vessel to make sense and capture the now, to reflect, to question, to understand. It’s quite functional if you think about it.

Work: Psychoacoustic. Photo Credit: Danilo Moroni.

​What motivates you? Undoubtedly my motivation comes from a need to create and to learn. I take a great deal of pleasure from working and collaborating with some really exciting individuals, whether that be performers in a space, artists during a process or academics in a meeting; having my mind opened by these people, to see how they think, how they tackle problems, to learn about what they do and the things they know- I find that truly exciting. Being able to capture that in creative work definitely gives me drive.

Have you ever failed at something and what happened as a result? What advice would you give to people as a result of that experience? ​I fail at things all the time. Professionally and personally, I think failure is really important to take stock and reflect, so that you can move into successes. I have made awful decisions before which at the time I felt were bulletproof, but I don’t regret making them, they’re really important. Seeing work redeveloped again after some serious reflection is actually really rewarding and couldn't have happened without that initial failure. Claess Janssen’s four rooms theory says you move from contentment, to denial, confusion to renewal, they’re little lessons I’ve picked up from valued people, so my advice would be to trust your judgement now and don’t worry about the next steps, it’ll come. ​​

Anything interesting coming up soon?I have just finished a creative stint with Ballet West in Scotland which was really exciting and in a few weeks I start creating a new piece of work commissioned by Rubicon Dance in Cardiff. I am working with a composer and longstanding collaborator of mine; Ben Corrigan- and together we will be creating a new work centred around research into adrenaline. The project is part of the new Dance Outlook Commission and Tour project by Rubicon Dance.